Enchantment
Creating a Talisman first takes talent; an enchanter must usually handcraft the object to be enchanted, whether it is a blade, a ring, a pair of shoes or a book. (This is not always the case, especially with items that have a close personal attachment to the enchanter.) Many enchanters choose one field of study and specialise in it, creating pieces of art for sale when they aren't working on pieces to be enchanted (after all, a sorcerer has to earn a living somehow). Others develop enough skill to create serviceable tools that can be enchanted in a number of different Crafts, relying on their magical abilities to suffice where theircraftsmanship does not. Every ritual, therefore, starts with a Crafts roll to determine the quality of the item being enchanted; an exceptional result on this test may make the actual Enchantment easier. Depending on what is being made, this may take anywhere from a day or so, to months of careful crafting. The next part of the process is the Enchantment itself. This normally takes one to three days per level of the item, depending on the Tradition of the enchanter and the particulars of the Enchantment (the more complex the Enchantment, in terms of who can use it, how many times it can be used, and when it can be used, the longer the initial work). At the end of this period, make an Intelligence + Occult roll (difficulty 4 + level of the Enchantment), spend a point of Willpower and the Enchantment is completed. Enchantments are never a matter of numbers and creation systems; they should flow from the story and roleplaying, not die rolls. While we've given some examples, a smart enchantress can come up with many more. * Minor items that have a very limited utility and very limited effects that will never be seen as magical by any who don't know what to look for. They might add one (or, less frequently, two) dots to an Attribute or Ability, grant a bonus to an attack or skill (never more than a +1) or some other boon - An army surplus jacket that adds two dots to Arcane whenever the character is in a crowd, - A custom made handgun that subtracts 1 from the difficulty of all aimed shots made with the weapon (or, alternatively, subtracts 1 from the difficulty of all wild shots made with it). - A small stuffed animal that brings restful sleep, no matter the recipient's state of mind or state of intoxication; anyone sleeping in the same bed as the toy will sleep like a baby. - A small medallion with a chrysoprase in the middle of it, carved in the shape of a hawk's eye, carried on a fine silver chain. Once a day, when rubbed, it will give the wearer the vision of a hawk for the space of one scene. (This adds 2 dice to Perception, for purposes of seeing things at long distance or noticing movement). ** A more powerful version of a Talisman that could be previously made (adding +2 to an Ability or Attribute or +2 to some task), or a Talisman capable of changing reality in some subtle but more noticeable or magical fashion. - A liquor flask that, when carried in a breast pocket, will unerringly attract the first bullet that would hit thecarrier to itself. This provides three dice of lethal soak. After, the flask is useless. (Apparently this Enchantment was very popular with Allied sorcerers during World War II). - A handful of bullets (1 per success rolled on the Enchantment) that do an additional 2 dice of damage to whatever they hit. - A silver ankle bracelet, with many hanging baubles, that gives the wearer an additional two levels in Dancing whenever it is worn, if it is plainly visible. *** These items perform functions that are obviously magical to those looking for such things and that will be considered very weird by those who aren't. - A pair of running shoes that doubles the running speed of the wearer. This ability only works when the wearer is trying to evade pursuit, -An amulet inscribed with arcane symbols, on a leather thong. When grasped, it will act as a personal ward against sorcery, up to three times a day (number of dice subtracted equals the successes rolled on the Enchantment). This amulet must be kept in a jewelry box carved out of a single crystal when not worn or the Enchantment will fade (one success per night) until it becomes a simple piece of jewelry. - A sword with a core of liquid mercury that does aggravated damage against the Risen and lethal damage to wraiths (if they can be seen; it provides no inherent ability to see the Restless Dead). A priest must bless the sword every fortnight, or the magic fails. **** Talismans of this power can defy reality to a large degree, as long as they work within certain restrictions. They can increase Attributes and Abilities past normal human maximums, duplicate low-level supernatural abilities (no more than the second dot of Disciplines, Gifts, etc.) and otherwise work wonders. - The fabled Heartseeker - a stiletto that aims unerringly for the heart when drawn and used in rage. This inflicts Strength + 5 dice of lethal damage, and the dagger may be thrown. It must be bathed in the blood of those it has killed after each combat or lose its potency. - A solid silver torc that, when worn, grants the wearer superhuman Strength. The wearer's Strength rises to 5 when the torc is worn. In addition, a number of times per day equal to the successes rolled on the Enchantment, the wearer may boost his Strength past normal, gaining 3 automatic successes on all task rolls involving Strength (these successes are added directly to damage rolled, etc.). The torc must be kept in view of the moon whenever it is not worn, if the moon is visible. - The skull of a long-dead wizard, which can be used to contact him for assistance. The sorcerer using this Talisman must donate a pint of blood and can ask the wizard as many questions as successes rolled on the Enchantment. These do not have to be yes/no questions, and follow up questions on the same immediate topic are allowed without using up a question (the Storyteller is the final arbiter of what is or isn't a question). This Talisman can only be used during the new moon, and the sorcerer must make a Willpower test (difficulty equal to the number of times the Talisman has been used + 4) or the skull crumbles to pieces after the final question is asked. - A byrnie of silvered mail that converts up to 4 dice of lethal damage taken in a turn of combat into bashing damage. Each time this ability is used, a few more links fall out of the coat, until, eventually, it falls apart, unusable. The mail can never be cleaned or repaired, or it automatically loses its abilities. ***** Items made with this level of skill are almost mythic; their powers are sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant and always unpredictable. When they work, they can perform minor miracles, - A money pouch that will always have five dollars in quarters (or 6 Canadian loonies or three pounds sterling or whatever - always in small, but not annoying, sums) in it, as long as at least one quarter is left in the pouch. It can only be drawn from four times a day, or it will lose its power forever. - An amulet that, when worn, renders the user almost immune to any kind of physical harm (granting the user five dice of lethal soak that is also usable against aggravated damage). Every time this ability is used, it subtracts five years from the user's life. The user evinces no outward change, but when he finally expires, he will appear to be an old man internally. - An amulet that wards the user against all magical detection. The amulet adds 4 successes to the number required to find the user with any kind of magical ability (Auspex, Divination, Sphere magic, etc.). The sorcerer will be presented with a different riddle, puzzle or other enigmas he must solve before the amulet will activate. Once activated, the amulet will be effective for a number of weeks equal to the number of successes rolled on the Enchantment. - An animated servant. This might be the classical golem from Jewish mythology, a homunculus or some kind of robot. A servant like this is created like a character, but has only 10 points to spend on Attributes and 7 to spend on Abilities. It has human senses, Health levels equal to a normal human (but does not suffer wound penalties) and does not need to eat or sleep, though technologically basedservants will usually need recharging. ****** Talismans of this potency are more rumor and myth than they are quantifiable fact. If items of this power still exist or anyone can still make them, they would be capable of feats that would be impressive even to the most powerful sorcerer. Rituals Although this entire Path is composed of various rituals, there are some that are more standardized than others. These include: Eldritch Mark (â€¢) The sorcerer scribes a symbol or mark into an object or onto the forehead of an individual. This mark then fades from view, but any student of the mystic Arts who looks at the object or individual will be able to discern the mark andwill know the name of the sorcerer who marked it. This ritual takes five minutes to cast and has no cost in Willpower. Enhance Craftsmanship (â€¢â€¢) The enchanter uses his power to enhance the craftsmanship of an object he is making (something enhanced in this fashion can not thereafter be further enchanted). Thus, he can forge a blade that will never break, knit a sweater that will never unravel or ensorcel a mirror so that it will never crack. An object made in this fashion is not inherently magical in any way, but an alchemist or another enchanter can discern the methods used to enhance it with a Perception + Occult task (difficulty 6). This ritual takes as long to cast as it takes to make the object (15 to 20 minutes for something that is being ensorceled after the fact) and costs no Willpower. Price of Failure The best a sorcerer can hope for on a failure is that his time and effort will be wasted. It is more likely that the sorcerer will end up with a cursed item, one that has some side effect that was not anticipated, an accident that blows the workshop to bits or worse. Botching a creation roll is never a good idea: Enchanters have been engulfed in conflagrations or have simply disappeared, along with their workshops. Technosorcerers and Enchantment Perhaps more than any other Path (saving only Advanced Chemistry), Enchantment (which technosorcerers know by a whole host of other names: material sciences, advanced ballistics, applied high-energy physics, etc.) is the forte of the technosorcerer. Working as it does with physical objects and definable effects, Enchantment is a Path that many technosorcerers will have at least a basic understanding of. Technology based Enchantments work slightly differently; many simple enchanted items can be used by anyone who knows how to use a normal version of the device (an unnaturally accurate handgun doesn't normally care who wields it). Given time, almost anyone can be trained in the use of even the most advanced technology based Talisman (called a Device). Powerful Devices are almost as likely to fail in the public view as the most powerful of Talismans based on mystical principals are, for reasons that are still unknown. Technosorcery is something that works best when it works in the shadows, just as its counterpart is.